Memory Storage 77

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Memory and Storage
A memory is just like a human brain. It is used to store data and instructions. Computer memory
is the storage space in computer where data is to be processed and instructions required for
processing are stored. The memory is divided into large number of small parts called cells. Each
location or cell has a unique address which varies from zero to memory size minus one.
Memory
Primary Memory Secondary Memory
Cache Memory Main Memory ➢ Magnetic Disk (HDD)
➢ Optical Disk (CD, DVD, BRD)
➢ Flash Memory (Memory card, Pen
Drive)
Registers RAM ROM

SRAM DRAM PROM
EPROM
EEPROM
Memory is primarily of three types:
➢ Cache Memory: It is a very high-speed semiconductor memory which can speed up CPU.
It acts as a buffer between the CPU and main memory.
➢ Primary Memory/Main Memory: Primary memory holds only those data and instructions
on which computer is currently working. It has limited capacity and data is lost when
power is switched off.
➢ Secondary Memory: This type of memory is also known as external memory or non-
volatile. It is slower than main memory. These are used for storing data/Information
permanently.
Primary memory consists of mainly two types of memories:
✓ Random Access Memory (RAM): RAM is the internal memory of the CPU for storing data,
program and program result. It is read/write memory which stores data until the machine is
working. As soon as the machine is switched off, data is erased.
✓ RAM is volatile, i.e. data stored in it is lost when we switch off the computer or if there is a
power failure. Hence a backup uninterruptible power system (UPS) is often used with
computers. RAM is small, both in terms of its physical size and in the amount of data it can
hold.
There are mainly three types of RAM available:
✓ Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM): A type of physical memory used in most personal
computers. The term dynamic indicates that the memory must be constantly refreshed2
(reenergized) or it loses its contents. This type of memory is more economical.
✓ Static Random Access Memory (SRAM): A type of memory that is faster and less volatile than
DRAM, but requires more power and is more expensive. The term static is derived from the
fact that it does not need to be refreshed like DRAM.
✓ Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory (SDRAM): A type of DRAM that can run at
much higher clock speeds.
✓ Read Only Memory (ROM): The memory from which we can only read but cannot write on it .
This type of memory is non-volatile. The information is stored permanently in such memories
during manufacture. A ROM, stores such instructions that are required to start a computer.
This operation is referred to as bootstrap.
There are mainly three types of ROM available:

✓ MROM (Masked ROM): The very first ROMs were hard-wired devices that contained a
pre-programmed set of data or instructions. These kinds of ROMs are known as masked
ROMs which are inexpensive.
✓ PROM (Programmable Read only Memory): PROM is read-only memory that can be
modified only once by a user. The user buys a blank PROM and enters the desired
contents using a PROM program
✓ EPROM (Erasable and Programmable Read Only Memory): The EPROM can be erased by
exposing it to ultra-violet light for a duration of up to 40 minutes. Usually, an EPROM
eraser achieves this function.
✓ EEPROM (Electrically Erasable and Programmable Read Only Memory): The EEPROM is
programmed and erased electrically. It can be erased and reprogrammed about ten
thousand times. Both erasing and programming take about 4 to 10 ms (milli second).
Secondary Storage (External Storage Devices):
Floppy diskettes, hard disk, tapes and optical disks come under the category of external storage
devices or ancillary storage devices. These devices are very sensitive to environmental
conditions (humidity and temperature) as well as to external magnetic fields and need to be
stored carefully.
✓ Floppy Disk : Floppy disks are primarily used on PCs. Information on a floppy disk is
recorded in the magnetized states of particles of iron oxides evenly placed upon
concentric circles known as tracks.
✓ Hard Disk: It is a non-removable enclosed magnetic disk included in most PCs. It contains
a stack of metal platters, each coated with iron oxide, that spin on a spindle and the
entire unit is encased in a sealed chamber.
✓ Magnetic Tape: This is plastic tape, usually made of Mylar that is coated with iron oxide,
thereby enabling the introduction (writing); retention (memory) and reading of
magnetically recorded information. The best use of tape storage is for data that you do
not use very often.
Storage
Data storage is the collective methods and technologies that capture and retain digital
information on electromagnetic, optical or silicon-based storage media. Storage is a key
component of digital devices, as consumers and businesses have come to rely on it to preserve
information ranging from personal photos to business-critical information.
Storage is frequently used to describe the devices and data connected to the computer through
input/output (I/O) operations, including hard disks, flash devices, tape systems and other media
types.
Types of data storage devices/mediums
• Data storage media have varying levels of capacity and speed. These include cache
memory, DRAM or main memory; magnetic tape and magnetic disk; optical disc, such as
CDs, DVDs and Blu-ray disks; flash memory and various iterations of in-memory storage;
and cache memory.
• The main types of storage media in use today include hard disk drives (HDDs), solid-state
storage, optical storage and tape.
• Optical data storage is popular in consumer products, such as computer games and
movies, and is also used in high-capacity data archiving systems.
• Flash memory cards are integrated in digital cameras and mobile devices, such as
smartphones, tablets, audio recorders and media players. Flash memory is found on
Secure Digital cards, CompactFlash cards, Multi MediaCards and USB memory sticks.
What is cloud computing?
• Cloud computing refers to accessing all the software and hardware resources over the
internet instead of having them on-premise. These resources can be servers, databases,
storage, applications, and networking.
• A distinguishing feature of cloud computing is that the user is not responsible for
computer resources. Instead, these resources are provided and managed by cloud
service providers.
• The user subscribes to the cloud services on an as-needed basis.
• Cloud computing saves the user from buying, owning, and maintaining physical data
centres and servers. Examples of common cloud computing platforms are Google Cloud,
Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, IBM Cloud, Alibaba Cloud.
Following are the main memory storage units:
S. No. Unit Description

1 Bit A binary digit is logical 0 and 1 representing a passive or an active state of a
(Binary component in an electric circuit.
Digit)
2 Nibble A group of 4 bits is called nibble.
3 Byte A group of 8 bits is called byte. A byte is the smallest unit which can
represent a data item or a character. (1 byte = 8 bits)

4 Word A computer word, like a byte, is a group of fixed number of bits processed
as a unit which varies from computer to computer but is fixed for each
computer. The length of a computer word is called word-size or word
length and it may be as small as 8 bits or may be as long as 96 bits. A
computer stores the information in the form of computer words.
Few higher storage units are following:
S.No. Unit Description

1 Kilobyte (KB) 1 KB = 1024 Bytes
2 Megabyte(MB) 1 MB = 1024 KB
3 GigaByte (GB) 1 GB = 1024 MB
4 TeraByte (TB 1 TB = 1024 GB
5. PetaByte (PB) 1 PB = 1024 TB

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www.byjusexamprep.

Memory and Storage

Registers RAM ROM

Memory is primarily of three types:

Primary memory consists of mainly two types of memories:

There are mainly three types of ROM available:

Secondary Storage (External Storage Devices):

Types of data storage devices/mediums

What is cloud computing?

Following are the main memory storage units:

S. No. Unit Description

represent a data item or a character. (1 byte = 8 bits)

Few higher storage units are following:

S.No. Unit Description

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